Psychology
for Lawyers

carl rogers

Preface

"Carl Rogers, one of the twentieth century's great psychotherapists,
knew something about listening. He wrote, 'The great majority of us
cannot listen; we find ourselves compelled to evaluate, because listening
is too dangerous. The first requirement is courge, and we do not always
have it.' He knew that llistening could transforme people.

* * * *

Sometimes it takes a long time to figure out what someone
genuinely means when they are talkig. This is because often they are
articulating their ideas for the first time. They can't do it without
wandering down blind alleys or making contradictory or even onsensical
claims. This is partly because talking (and thinking) is often more
about forgetting than about remembering. To discuss an event, particularly
something emotional . . . is to slowly choose what to leave behind.
To begin . . . much that is not necessary must be put into words. The
emotion-laden speaker must recount the whole experience, in detail.
Only then can the central narrative . . . come into focus or consolidate
itself. Only then can the moral of the story be derived."